Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness and Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith held discussions with heads of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) this afternoon over the recent imposition of import tariffs by the United States.

Jamaica is among 180 countries affected by the new import taxes.

Many Caribbean countries now face a new 10 per cent tax.

Guyana was hit with the highest tariff in the region at 38 per cent.

The U.S. imposed the highest tariff on China at 145 per cent.

China has responded by imposing a 125 per cent tariff on U.S. goods, resulting in what many have called a tariff war.

Speaking during this morning’s sitting of the Senate, Johnson Smith said a preliminary internal meeting with CARICOM’s office of trade negotiations had already taken place.

She explained that Jamaica’s Ministries of Industry, Investment and Commerce, as well as Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, participated in that preliminary meeting.

She noted that the Prime Minister will update the country as soon as possible, following today’s discussions with heads of CARICOM.